Proof: Burden of Proof

Soft-opened some four months ago in a space previously occupied by half of Cup and Saucer, Proof (3564 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 236-6001)
is a welcome addition to Hawthorne’s relatively nightlife-light
stretch. The bar’s menu, however, needs distilling. Proof’s Old
Fashioned ($8) is made with a local whiskey and is properly stiff, but
it lacks nuance. The Gentleman’s Ginger ($8) features housemade ginger
syrup, which combined with ginger beer yields something like a Bulleit
Bourbon fountain drink. Also a mixed bag is the cheese plate ($8), with
fresh fruit and a good, strong blue cheese sharing plate space with
bag-lunch-grade cheese and bread slices. Though the jury’s still out on
Proof’s food and cocktails, the bar’s narrow, vintage-lamp digs
incontestably have a comfortable, neighborhood-joint vibe, and its Best
Coast-centric tap list (a pint from which costs just $2.75 during happy
hour and all day Tuesday) is perfectly curated. On those points, the
case is closed.